Alert for Pet Owners Regarding Ordering Drugs Online

October 14, 2010 9:34 AM

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers about the dangers of ordering pet medications from Web sites that do not require prescriptions and offer extremely low prices. The downloadable consumer health information document, “Purchasing Pet Drugs Online: Buyer Beware,” (PDF) advises pet owners that the agency has found online entities selling unapproved pet drugs, counterfeit drug products, and expired drugs, as well as Web sites that make fraudulent claims regarding the products they market. To verify that one is ordering prescription pet medications from a legitimate, reputable Internet pharmacy, FDA suggests that consumers order from a Vet-VIPPS^CM (Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites^CM)-accredited Internet pharmacy, or from an outsourced prescription management service that is used by the pet owner’s veterinarian. Also, FDA advises that pet owners mail the prescription written by their veterinarian to the pharmacy after their pet receives a physical examination. As indicated by Martine Hartogensis, DVM, deputy director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, pet owners who purchase drugs from illegally operating Internet companies “may think they are saving money, but in reality they may be short-changing their pet’s health and putting its life at risk.”